Px Wire: Making sense of the AIDS Conference, updated PrEP guidelines and contraceptive research

This latest issue of Px Wire comes out on the eve of the International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia—and we begin with “AVAC’s Take” on key messages and commitments to look for at and after the meeting. The bottom line: turn talk into action.

 This means building on the recent UNAIDS definition of what ending AIDS means and when it should happen, and it means getting specific about how to turn guidelines into public health programs for impact.

Click here to download.

As Px Wire went to press, the World Health Organization launched new comprehensive guidance for HIV prevention and treatment for key populations. This includes a strong recommendation for offering oral PrEP in programs for gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM). This development drew headlines and has the potential to expand access to strategic prevention for individuals who need it most. But as we note in our “Data Dispatch”, there are still only two demonstration projects ongoing in Africa—one of the geographies where gay men and other MSM have high rates of HIV—usually in the context of low levels of services and human rights protections. Without a clear plan for a suite of projects that answer key questions about PrEP in MSM as well as other populations who can benefit from PrEP, the new WHO guidance will not have the impact it should.

Px Wire also provides an update on the proposed ECHO trial, which seeks to measure the impact of different family planning methods on women’s risk of HIV. Originally set to test four contraceptive methods, the most recent trial protocol has just three arms—a change that reflects challenges fundraising for this research.

Our centerspread, features our redesigned website—including searchable databases, an infographics galley and our new blog, P-Values.

When do you stop an HIV prevention trial for futility? A primer for HIV prevention advocates

This fact sheet looks at why trials are stopped early for “futility.” What does this mean, when is such a recommendation made and how does it affect other ongoing trials?

Jeff McConnell Memorial Webinar – Audio

This webinar memorialized pioneering sociologist Jeff McConnell and his impact on HIV prevention science. Updates were presented on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) research and the implications of Dr. McConnell’s research on sexual networks for how PrEP will be implemented.Find details, slides and full flash webinar here.

HIV Prevention Europe Webinars: Rectal microbicides

The seventh webinar in our series addressing a range of topics in HIV prevention research, hosted jointly by NAM and AVAC, focused on rectal microbicides. Speakers included: Ian McGowan, University of Pittsburgh; Carolina Herrera, Imperial College; Alex Carballo-Dieguez, Columbia University; and Marc-André LeBlanc, IRMA.

The presentation was followed by a Q&A session. Click here for slides and audio from the webinar.

Will a pill a day prevent HIV? Anticipating the results of the tenofovir “PrEP” trials

This 2005 report examines the issues surrounding the tenofovir trials and makes recommendations for ensuring that trials are carried out ethically and that provisions are made for dealing with the results of the trials when they are available. The report also calls for more concerted coordination and advance planning to accelerate evaluation, licensing, and access to PrEP.

Ongoing and Planned PrEP Demonstration and Implementation Studies

This is a summary table of ongoing and planned global PrEP evaluation studies.

US CDC Releases New Clinical Guidelines for PrEP

The guidelines, the first national guidelines for PrEP use, provide instructions for health providers about providing daily TDF/FTC as PrEP for individuals at “substantial risk for HIV infection”; visit PrEP Watch to learn more about the guidelines, download materials and more.

And a group of 164 leading HIV/AIDS and health organizations today reiterated their strong support for oral PrEP as an important HIV prevention strategy for men and women at risk of HIV infection. The diverse group of advocates, researchers and service providers hailed new HIV PrEP guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a science-driven, public health approach to what remains a major health crisis in the United States.

View the document here.

AIDS Vaccine Science for Busy Advocates – Current AIDS Vaccine R&D Pipeline

One-pager reviewing what we’ve learned from previous efficacy trials, the product pipeline and where we are today and future directions toward finding a vaccine that works.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis: An introductory factsheet

This introductory 2-page document defines PrEP, reviews the scientific evidence to date, and outlines key research, regulatory and advocacy issues going forward. This factsheet is part of a series on emerging HIV prevention strategies.

PrEP Primer (Chinese)

This document, developed by 2012 AVAC Advocacy Fellow Cai Lingping, provides background information on pre-exposure prophylaxis, reviews the evidence base and planned trials, and discusses key issues for Chinese advocates. It explores implementation challenges and the funding landscape for continued research.